A Question Of Lust
by E. Lovett
Summary: Captain Jack Sparrow finds out he isn't the only one left to die on the island. There he finds Ivy Hammond, captain of a ship now sunken. After escaping to Tortuga, will their paths ever cross again?
1. The Abandoned

**Disclaimer: **I do not own _Pirates of the Caribbean_ (Although I wish I owned at least one…). This story plot is from my own head and I have not read it anywhere else. No resemblance to anybody else's story is intended.

**Author's Note**: I'm still wondering if my chronic fangirlite will ever end.

* * *

**I **

**The Abandoned**

"You can't just leave me here!" she shouted and waved from the beach. The ship was, alas, too far for any trusted member of the crew to hear her. She mumbled some swears under her breath and kicked the sand. _Left on a damned island with only one shot, huh?_, she thought and drew out her pistol. She turned it around and examined it. In a fit of frustration, she cursed and threw it away. It hit something wooden it seemed, judging by the sound.

"I could swear it hit the sand," she whispered to herself. She shook her head, "Been here for less than three minutes and look! I'm going insane already"

But something in her insisted on verifying. She approached and slowly lifted up the pistol. She jumped a few times where it had been and it really did sound as wood.

_Insane, huh? _

She looked closer and saw a hook. The wind blew her blonde hair as a smirk grew on her face.

* * *

"Get back here!" he shouted and waved from the beach. It was no use. Barbossa had started the mutiny and was now the captain of _The Black Pearl._ He kicked the sand and finally fell in it. He watched the clouds slowly pass by as he started fearing this time he wouldn't escape from fate. He was left with one shot, but hell, he swore he would use it on Barbossa, even if he had to make a second deal with Davy Jones.

The wind was blowing slowly and his black hair covered half of his face when he noticed something that looked like a footstep.

"Am I not the only one here?" he asked himself as he heard something from behind him. He stood up and saw the bushes moving.

"Wel'ome, darlin', to the paradise o' rum!" a female voice shouted, followed by a somewhat maniacal laugher. Her silhouette took form, as she smirked and approached him. "One shot, huh? I already used mine," she said smirking more, adding more mystery to her words.

Jack backed off and asked, "On… what?" _Great, I'm seeing ghosts now. As if it weren't enough._

She laughed, "On opening a stupid door!"

"A door to what?"

"To Heaven!"

He lifted his eyebrow, "Ye killed yerself?"

She took big steps, in order to get closer to him and look at him right in his eyes. She didn't seem too dead to him.

"Neh," she finally said and turned around. "I did something much better; I found a way to survive on this Godforsaken spit of land!" she shouted, holding the bottle of rum triumphantly in her hand and spinning around. Then she suddenly stopped and stared at him. "Have some," she said and pushed the bottle in his arms.

He looked at it and took a gulp. And then another. And another.

Until dark, he had finally reached his limits and was walking around aimlessly, shouting random words. She had constantly been replacing the empty bottle with a full one that looked the same way, so he would just dare himself to finish it.

She watched him carefully, smiling. Her eyes turned to the sea. It was now dark; the only thing that lighted it was the little fire they had started. She watched the small waves slowly coming closer, and then retreating in the same slow motion. It was peaceful, and for some moments she had totally forgotten the drunken man wandering around.

"Care to explain now, love?" he suddenly said from behind her back, thing that made her shudder. He let out a little laugh, deciding to explain the sudden change, "As drunk as I may seem, I'm still more sober than a person who's never felt alcohol on the tongue"

They both laughed, until he suddenly stopped and regained his seriousness. She looked at him with bored eyes and replied, "Sea turtles." He raised an eyebrow as she pointed to the horizon, "We be going to use them to float until we reach land or some ship that would agree to get us somewhere"

They looked at each other. He seemed marveled by the idea, and she was staring in his black eyes seriously.

She suddenly fell in the sand and started rolling. Jack didn't figure out if she was crying or laughing. The girl stopped and looked at him with tears in her eyes. She had been laughing hysterically, "You actually did believe that!" He stared at her in confusion. "Well then we could as well wait until you grow enough hair on your back and use it as rope!" She continued rolling in the sand laughing, until he had had enough.

He pointed his pistol to her head, "Don't get me wrong, love, but I really wanna get off this stupid island"

"Parlay," she said holding her hands up and smirking.

The girl stood up and walked away. She knocked on a palmer and took four big steps. Deciding that was the spot, she brushed the sand off and grabbed a hole in the wood. She opened a trap door and descended. Noises of bottles came from the underground room, as two arms victoriously showed him bottles of rum. She had the same smirk while she pushed the door down with her back. He was handed a bottle and they both silently walked back to the fire.

"Rum runners," she stated after opening a bottle and sitting down. He made himself comfortable some inches away from her.

"Who would've thought," he opened his and drank. "So, curious to know me name?"

She blinked before answering, "Jack Sparrow, ain't it?"

"_Captain_ Jack Sparrow"

"Of course," she said and took a sip.

"How'd ye figure out?"

"I saw _The Pearl, _capt'n"

They stayed in silence some moments. She thought he had fallen asleep from too much rum in the end, but when she turned around to look at him he had still open eyes and was looking at the sea. The black around his eyes was now giving him a melancholic note.

"Me name's Ivy," she said out of the blue. "It's me second day here. Some idiot made me walk the plank and…"

"They started a mutiny against me," he tried to comfort her, to make her state she wasn't the only abandoned one. Seeing she didn't answer, he almost regretted his words, until she laughed and fell on her back. When she stopped, he asked, "And how are ye goin' to get off this island?"

She bit her finger, pondering. "The rum runners will probably come back and I'll probably arrive to an accord with 'em."

"What are ye goin' to tell them?" He waited, but got no answer, and turning around, he saw she had fallen asleep. He fell on his back and smirked.

"_G'night, love"_


	2. The Drunken

**II **

**The Drunken**

"Why does me hair have to be this long?" she sighed and tried to arrange her huge mass of blonde hair on one side of her shoulder. The wind would blow it off, and she would swear.

Jack tried to open his eyes, but the light was too strong to do it all of a sudden. Finally, he had them half opened and he sat to confirm he hadn't dreamt all that. He recognized Ivy swearing and running crazily and the island. _As real as meself,_ he thought and stood up.

Ivy's weird behaviour had trigged his curiosity, "What's wrong, love?"

She growled and kicked the sand, "NOTHING"

Of course there was something wrong, and as he started to make connection between her words and her visible hatred towards her own hair, he searched his pockets and found a piece of tissue.

"Oi," he shouted to catch her attention, "maybe this'll help"

He threw her the piece and she examined it. Her logic had been damaged because of all the rum and the dizziness from running around in circles, but she finally managed to understand its meaning. "Thanks," she nodded and smiled.

_At least she calmed down,_ he thought and gave her an all-knowing look. She didn't look as if she had noticed, being too busy with her hair's arrangement. He walked to the trap door and got a bottle of rum out of it. By the time he returned, she had plaited her hair, adding too much volume on the upper part. It made her head seem too big, but the way it was getting thinner as it descended her shoulder made it look in the same time pretty and messy. He smirked.

She looked away and simply stated, "I've never been good at it"

The reply made him let out a little laugh, and she reached out for his bottle.

"Mine," he frowned and hugged it in a way a child would do with its teddy bear. She didn't take it as a joke, but more as a declaration of war.

* * *

"Gotcha!"

"Ouch!"

"Not this time, darlin'!"

"Not in the eye, you idiot!"

They had been throwing sand-balls at each other for almost half of the day. She had built a shield of stones around the "magic room", as she called the rum cellar, and he was using the trees as protection. They had to go and take water from the sea from time to time in their bottles. It was needed to complete the sand-balls. She had hit him more than forty times, and he had almost left her blind.

All this because he wouldn't let her take a sip of his bottle.

He had tried to make peace with her several times, but she would just respond with another sand-ball attack. Even by showing her an improvised white flag, she wouldn't stop and feed him sand for lunch.

They were both full of wet sand, although in the beginning it was somewhat uncomfortable, they had gotten used to it.

She decided to attack his little shelter, to make him surrender one more time. It was a pleasure to see his hurt face, trying to make her stop. She slowly advanced, as he was preparing a sand-ball behind a palmer. She had three prepared and was ready to attack. The only thing she didn't know was behind what tree he was hiding. She took shelter behind one as well and waited for him to come.

As she stood there and waited, Jack decided to make her pay for underestimating the enemy's field. He approached from her back and grabbed her waist with one arm, while trying to make her swallow the sand with the other one. She started coughing, mimicking suffocation.

He let go and she bent to grab a sand-ball of the three that had slipped off. It was too late for him to realize the suffocation had been just a trick. She had thrown the ball in his face.

They stopped and looked at each other.

"Had enough?" she said and smirked mischievously.

He did the same, "You wish"

Before she could understand what he meant, he widely opened his arms and jumped over her, causing them to fall in the sand. They rolled until they reached the shore. The wet sand felt cold on her skin, and the water started to get deeper and deeper as they kept on rolling. The water finally reached her nose and she found herself sneezing and trying her best to stand. Unfortunately for her, every time she tried to stand on her own feet Jack would grab her long dirt white dress and pull her down, causing her to fall with a splash.

"Wru ijot," she mumbled from underwater. He didn't fully understand what she had said, but supposed it was some bad thing about him.

The water reached her waist now, but she was constantly falling and it was harder to reach 'land' on her knees. She decided to get rid of Jack to free her way to the beach. She turned around and jumped over him, causing him to fall on his back. She knew that water would enter his nose in that position.

When she decided it was time to go, she stood and ran as fast as she could. Of course, she stumbled until water reached her knees. Then, she suddenly felt someone put his hand on her shoulder. She turned around and saw Jack holding his nose and winking.

"Oh bugger," she said as to herself. He laughed and decided to leave her alone. But before that, he kicked the water to splash her in her face. She coughed.

They both let themselves fall on the ground like dead bodies. It truly had been a long fight, they hadn't even realized how time had passed, and they had gotten hungry. She took notice of that when she heard Jack's stomach growl.

"There's some bread in the paradise if you want," she stated and sat. He didn't respond. "Hey, you alive?"

"Aye"

"Go get some bread"

"I'm not hungry"

"That's not what your stomach says," she smirked and saw his face look as if he had hoped its growl would have passed unnoticed. He blinked before turning his back at her. She frowned at his ignorance. On top of that, her laziness was too big to let her get it for herself. Her stomach also growled.

"Go get some bread," Jack responded with the same phrase. She frowned and laid back, turning her back to his back.

"No"

Of course, they could've starved to death because of their pride if Jack wouldn't have finally given up at the sixth growl. She tried to smirk, but she was too hungry to move a muscle. When he came back, she slowly raised one arm in the air, pleading him to give her some. He watched her from his feet, not intending to give her the tiniest bit. She kept on moaning until he threw a little piece.

"That's for you to get some energy and get your own bread," he mumbled and walked away.

"Where're you goin'?" she asked him, trying to stand but failing miserably.

"To look around"

He walked away and she had to crawl to her little paradise. She grabbed two bottles of rum and some bread. It was enough for her to survive. With some practice, even only the rum would've been.

She ate and watched Jack's body disappear in the sunlight. The sun was setting, and it made his stumbling body look, in a weird way, angelic.

She laughed at the silly idea.

She couldn't believe the day had passed so fast. And she couldn't believe she had spent it in such a weird way. Of course, the days before weren't better either. On the first one, she kept on running around the island and laughing at how tiny it was, and on the second, she drank rum and sang a song some sailors had taught her.

After she had seen Jack pass by about three times, she started to worry he would do the same thing she had done on her first day there. She decided to try to stop him.

Only if she had known how.

Fortunately for both, he found a better thing to do. They found themselves singing the song she had had been obsessing over the other day and spin around, holding each other's arms.

"WE'RE REALLY BAD EGGS," they growled in unison. She stopped, approached and gazed in his dark eyes. He leant forward, but the kiss never came. She slapped him.

"What was that for?" he shouted, rubbing his hit cheek.

She let out a little laugh and crossed her arms, "For thinking I'm a light one." He raised an eyebrow. "I don't give in that easily," she said and smirked triumphantly.

He didn't seem pleased with the answer, and for a moment, he thought of forcing her. But he knew he'd have her on his conscience after. In the end, they both had pistols, and it would've been stupid to end up using their last bullets on… themselves.

The idea of getting her drunk struck him. But she already looked enough drunk.

He shook the ideas off his head and decided to let it be. He would wait until he'd get Scarlet for free.

Ivy's deep sigh interrupted his chain of thoughts. She looked as if she had had a hard day, but he knew she had been playing all day. She wasn't old enough to tell she was tired. She didn't look tired.

"Now's the moment when you'd usually start talking about yer past," he tried to break the silence. She laughed.

"No really?"

"Just trying to start a conversation here, love"

She laughed harder, "I know. The quiet scares me as well"

It wasn't correct to say he was _scared_ of the quiet. It was rather uncomfortable just sitting there, watching the stars and not saying anything. Of course, if they were in a close enough relationship, it would've been okay.

And on the other hand, he was curious to know her. She seemed as if she had passed through many obstacles in life, despite her young appearance. The eyes always told the through. He knew he had caught it the moment she pretended to kiss him.

She had tired eyes.

"So why'd they start the mutiny?" she seemed to read his thoughts once again and open herself.

He smiled to himself, "No idea at all. Maybe they just didn't like having me as their captain"

"I see"

The awkward silence filled the air once again. He had hoped she would tell him why she was forced to walk the plank. It had never been so hard to enter a conversation with a woman for him before.

"Mutinies are bad"

He mentally slapped himself when he realized he had said it aloud, but also when he realized how stupid it sounded. She didn't seem to take notice, as she agreed with a nod.

_Pathetic,_ she mentally criticized her incapability to have a normal conversation with Jack.

Seeing personal revelations wouldn't work, she tried to change the topic.

"The rum runners should be here by tomorrow"

She prayed he'd answer.

"How do you know?"

She smiled, "The rum's… running out"

They laughed. "What are you going to do after you reach Tortuga?" she asked him. He took his time to think.

"Get crew, steal ship and do what I've been doing 'til now," his answer was simple. "What about ye?"

"Don't really have the energy to go back to piracy. Maybe I'll find something to do in Tortuga. I have to make up my mind"

Indeed, she had been sinking in alcohol for too much. It was time she had made up her mind and found something to do. She already had a slight idea of what she could occupy her time with: doing some research on her parents. Instinctively, she led her hand over her heart. She had a big scar right over her heart, and one on her back. It looked as if she had been stabbed with a sword, but she would've been dead by then, right? She assumed it was but a coincidence.

Mystery was surrounding her wherever she went. When she asked anybody about what had happened to her father, nobody would answer, or they would do the cross sign. What was so bad about him, that they couldn't even tell her?

She was frowning, still holding her hand over her heart. Jack seemed to notice, as he leaned forward to see her face better. That was when she noticed she was acting weird by herself.

"I'm sorry," she said and looked away. He did the same.

After some moments, Jack whispered, "I've seen it"

She shuddered.

"What have you seen?"

"Your little scar"

She frowned. So what if he had seen it? It wasn't as if she would meet him again after escaping the island. It wasn't as if he could tell her what had happened. No, she needn't worry.

But his company had started to become even more uncomfortable. She decided to go on the other side of the island. When she stood up, he looked at her with questioning eyes.

"I'll go on the other side, maybe they'll come from that part," she invented an excuse. Shortly after installing herself on the other side of the island, she fell asleep.

* * *

"Why does this man have to draw me?" a blonde little girl, about eight years of age, asked, apparently irritated. A woman would try to hold her still. The woman was her mother.

"Because, daddy misses you and wants to see how you look like now"

The woman forced a smile. The little girl knew it was fake. She knew she had been told a lie. It was always like that. They would always hide from her.

"If he misses me, why doesn't he come here and hug me and say he misses me?" she said and crossed her arms. The sketcher frowned at her constantly moving.

"Stop these annoying questions, Yvonne"

* * *

"Wake up, love"

_Hah. Annoying questions, you say?_

"Ivy?"

_Stupid liar._

"Wake… up!"

_Wake up, stupid Ivy._

She suddenly sat straight. She had hit Jack's nose in her confusion. Waking up was never her point forte.

"'Mornin', love"

Jack was rubbing his nose, thing that made his voice sound nasal. She realized a little more sleep would have been perfect, as the sun was barely rising. "Why'd ye wake me up?"

"Rum runners," he said and seemed as if he had reminded something. He grabbed her by the arm and almost dragged her through the sand, to the other side of the island. She wasn't really awake, so it took her some time to realize it was the 'big day'.

She rubbed her eyes and stared at the three men that were waiting for her. One looked pretty careless for all she could say, the other one was fat and the third one was armless. He also had lost one eye. All they had was a boat, and it was clear not all five would get off the island. He had thought of that. The rumrunners weren't really rich men, to be able to maintain a ship. All they ever cared was rum, of course.

"Jack," she whispered to him, "we'll have to get them drunk"

He studied them. "Indeed," he whispered back.

"We'll leave those two behind," she said and pointed with her head to the fat one and the one without arms. He walked to the last one and put his arms around his neck, praising his qualities and his helpfulness for the rum-lovers like himself. She ended up flirting with the fat one.

The third one seemed pleased to be left alone. He looked like the intelligent type of guy. The one that made the plans, she had thought. In the end, the tasks were proven to be easier than they thought, as they were already half drunken to death.

"I'll miss you, Larry," Jack said, holding his hat to his chest as the 'smart' one started to move the boat towards the horizon.

"How much is it to Tortuga?" she asked the smart one. He didn't seem sorry to leave his comrades behind. They were already far away from the island when she got an answer.

"About three days," he said.

She stole Jack's hat from the other side of the boat and put it over her face as she decided to continue her sleep.

* * *

**A/N: **Of course, next chapter'll be longer! And even if you'd think it'll all end in Tortuga, it won't. I assure you! Hah! Of course, I'm not going to narrate eight years (until the movie begins), but I'm going to find a way in the end, heheh (as I always do!).

I love you guys. :heart:


	3. The Fate

**III **

**The Fate**

They had spent one more year together in Tortuga, as friends, until Jack would commandeer the right ship. She had found a job in some tavern, and piracy wasn't really winking at her when he proposed her a good place on his ship. She had preferred to stay in Tortuga and gain her existence in silence. No more did she want to cause trouble around her, as she seemed to be a magnet for it anyway.

On the other hand, she had started to discover more things about her mother. It was rumored she had left a goodbye-letter before dying. People who said they knew her told her she wouldn't have left without leaving last words to her only daughter.

Her mother had jumped off the ship, tied to the anchor. Her father had been condemned to death for piracy.

The thing she couldn't understand was why nobody would tell her a thing. Her mother had been obsessed over appearances, indeed, but wasn't it a bit too much?

Not to add she thought her drinking habits would disappear once off the island, but instead they got worse. Random men – pirates – would come to her and lure her into drinking, supposing she would let herself driven into their bed. Every time, her 'boss' would save her from the hands of prostitution.

She was seventeen years old when she was left on the Godforsaken island (probably the young age had been the reason) and met Jack Sparrow. He had promised to visit her, but after five years of waiting, she realized he had probably already forgotten her. Well, a friend in minus wasn't much to bear.

In the sixth year though, she had gotten sick of Tortuga.

She had learnt many things from the pirates that visited her daily. Some of them had known her father, some of them pretended simply to get her attention, and some had only heard stories. But she had already known her father was working in Port Royal when he died from the beginning. The thing she hadn't known was that her mother was the sole daughter of a noble French family. Almost all men that had told her about Marie-Claire, her mother, would describe her elegance and beauty, as if they had met her.

_I guess she was pretty popular,_ she thought.

So she left Tortuga for Port Royal on those terms.

The best job for her everywhere she was going seemed to be in a tavern. She wasn't ready to face the conditions of all the fancy men and women of England. Being used with pirates, with no manners, a job there was much easier than she had thought.

Unfortunately, she hadn't found anything interesting. People were as mysterious as everyone she knew when she was a child.

In three years, she had gotten used to the British accent and started to use it. Because she had been very attentive with women through all those years, she had also started to be more caring of her appearance. At seventeen years you wouldn't care too much how you looked. Especially when a pirate. But now, at twenty-seven years, her hair would receive special care, as her face and clothes.

But one day changed it all.

She had gained a free day for hard work. It was a beautiful morning, and she decided to climb up to her little house's roof and watch the sun reflect in the sea. She had kept her mother's love for the sea, although she still didn't know if it really was 'a pirate's life for her'.

"Drink up, me 'earties, yo ho!" were the only words she sang, the rest of the sing being barely hummed. She remembered how those were the only 'happy' words she would hear from her mother.

From up there, the port could be clearly seen. Something had caught her eyes. A funny man was making port with a half-sunken boat. She couldn't see his face; it was too far away for that, but something trigged her mind when she saw him walk. There was something oddly familiar in that way of walking. She decided to go down and look for herself. Curiosity was at its maximum.

It took her long enough to get down, as her dress had been caught up in the ladder. She really didn't want to tear it, as it was her favorite one.

_I've become a snob, _she laughed to herself.

Deciding to use more time to arrange her hair, she had already lost some fair minutes. Of course, she didn't know where he had gone, but he couldn't have gone too far away. All she wanted to do was to reassure herself of something.

She decided to look after a grey hat. In Port Royal, most of the men would wear colorful hats or fluffy ones (she had about ten stolen ones at home; she just loved the fluffy ones). It wasn't too hard to find him in the end. While running between ships, she saw something falling in the sea. Judging by the splash, she supposed it was a human body. The intention of diving after it hit her, but she renounced at it when she saw the strange man had decided to do the same thing. He bravely dove and some moments later was cutting the girl's corset to let her breathe.

Ivy took the opportunity of joining in and immediately recognized the man. It was Jack Sparrow.

"Where'd you get this?" he asked the woman, holding in his hand a piece of gold. He seemed surprised and didn't even notice Ivy's presence. She coughed to make herself noticed. He turned his head and blinked. No, he didn't recognize her. Before she could explain, they were surrounded by men with arms and Commodore Norrington that she had recognized.

"Shoot him!" the girl's father ordered as both Ivy and Jack frowned. The girl, whose name turned out to be Elizabeth, protested.

"Commodore, do you really intend to kill my rescuer?"

Jack thanked her.

She was pretty. As Ivy recalled, her full name was Elizabeth Swann. She had seen her around town with her father – the governor. He always had seemed a man too full of himself to her. She examined her. She wasn't pretty anymore; she was beautiful. Her blonde hair was wet, and some small drops were falling off. Despite this, the aura that told her she was of a noble family never quit her.

"I believe thanks are an order," the Commodore suddenly changed technique. He seemed much friendly then. He raised his hand to shake it with Jack, and although he hesitated a moment before, in the end they did shake hands. The Commodore grabbed his hand and revealed the "P" marked on his arm.

"Hang him!" the governor plainly ordered once again. She sighed and he glared.

Commodore Norrington accused him of being a pirate, and after seeing his tattoo of a sparrow, realized what his name was.

"Well, well… Jack Sparrow, isn't it?"

"_Captain_ Jack Sparrow, if you please," Jack proudly added.

"Well, I don't see your ship… _captain!_"

"I'm in the market, as it were," he said, continuing to swing, and old habit of his she always had thought was funny.

Ivy sighed.

"And what about you, young lady?" his attention turned to her as some man named Gillette chained Jack. She mumbled some unintelligible words before deciding if she should or not tell the truth. He would see it on her arm anyway.

"I'm Ivy," she smiled her 'oh-I'm-into-it-deep' smile.

He pulled her right arm and discovered the tattoo of a ship and three letters under it.

"ILR? What does that stand for?" he inquired, letting her go.

She smirked, "It stands for… Ivy loves rum"

"Finally"

Jack turned the attention towards him. He was holding Elizabeth as a hostage and smirking mischievously. "Commodore Norrington, my effects please! …and my hat!"

The tension raised as Elizabeth put his hat on and his effects. Although there wasn't much of it, he still had one bullet in his pistol and could easily shoot Elizabeth at any wrong movement. Ivy was pretty happy she had been left alone.

"And let's not forget my dear Ivy"

The statement took her by surprise. Norrington gave her a look of surprise before ordering his men to grab her and take her near Jack.

_So he did recognize me._

She smiled to herself, stupidly in the middle of a 'critical situation'.

"Gentlemen! Milady!" he shouted, backing off. She followed him. "You will always remember this as the day you almost caught _Captain_ Jack Sparrow!"

He had of course forgotten her, but it wasn't much. The phrase would've sounded weird with her name in it anyway. He seized her by the waist in the same time he pushed Elizabeth away, and in some moments Ivy barely had time to blink, they were in the air, hanging by a rope. It started rotating.

"Now, love"

They both jumped off. She would've nearly fallen off if it hadn't been for him to seize her by the waist again. "Sorry," she excused herself. Jack used the shackles to slide down another rope, as she was holding him tight by his torso. They ran away as the navy kept on firing.

"Quick, Jack, there," she said pointing to a statue as she hid in a hole left probably by some canons in the wall. As soon as they were clear to go, he took her hand and led her to the blacksmith. He would finally remove his shackles there and they would be free to go. Of course, more attention would be needed, but heck, he was Jack Sparrow.

She could still hear the men shout and run around from outside. Jack was desperately trying to remove the shackles, after he had made sure the sleeping man in the corner couldn't be easily woken up.

"A little help would be… helpful, love!" he shouted to her. She was still afraid the man would wake up, so she put her finger over her lips.

He handed her the hammer, but no matter how powerful (or better said powerless because she had used too much energy to run – she wasn't used to action anymore) her hits were, they wouldn't break.

"Jack"

He turned his head around and looked at the thing Ivy was pointing at. It was a donkey, seemingly tied to some sort of mechanism. He appeared pleased by the idea and as soon as he found out how to make the donkey walk, he got his shackles removed by the force of physics.

"Now let's get out of here," he said, and she nodded. But as soon as they turned around to leave, someone was entering. She ran and hid behind the sleeping man, as Jack decided to just stay in the shadows and hope nobody would notice his hat and the things that shouldn't be in their place.

A man with short black hair (that until she noticed he had a small ponytail) entered and calmed the donkey that was still running in circles down. He approached the sleeping man, and she tried to become as small as possible. She prayed he wouldn't notice her, and she shuddered when he spoke, "Right where I left you" It took her some good minutes to understand he was talking to the sleeping one, and not her. Minutes in which he had noticed Jack's effects and in the same time, he had made himself noticed too. She watched the battle from her little hiding.

"You're the one they're hunting!" he said, backing down in front of Jack's sword. "The pirate!"

"You seem somewhat familiar," Jack stated. The man smiled bitterly.

"I prefer to avoid familiarities with pirates"

After some more talking, they started fighting. Jack had tricked the man into changing position, getting closer to the door so he could escape. He didn't know where Ivy was hiding, so he had to shout, "And now we shall take out departure"

"We?" the man inquired. Ivy came out from her hiding, but as soon as Jack tried to open the door, a sword flew across the air and ended at about one inch away from his face.

"Now that's what I call luck," she whispered, passing by the man to get to Jack. She wondered why he wouldn't stop her, but as soon as she noticed the door couldn't be opened anymore, she realized his aim wasn't bad at all; it really had been the door he was aiming for.

"Nice trick," Jack said, apparently irritated. They started fighting again, as she tried to pull the door open.

She cursed, yelled, kicked, but nothing happened. Having decided that just doing nothing wasn't going to help Jack get out, she grabbed a sword from the hundreds spinning around her and wanted to join the fight. She could hear them fight, but she had no idea where they were until her gaze lifted up a bit.

Jack eventually jumped down, remaining without sword, and so did the man he was fighting. She ran towards Jack, wanting to help her, but that was when her dress once again got caught up in a splinter. She tried to carefully pull it out, but it just would get worse. A loud breaking noise was heard, and she turned around to see Jack falling down, and the drunken man awake, with his bottle above his head.

A part of her dress was ripped off when she ran to him.

"Jack!"

She slapped him, in an effort to wake him up. The men outside that she had barely noticed had broken the door and were filling the room. "There they are!" some of them pointed to her and Jack, as the Commodore walked towards them. He congratulated "Mr. Brown" and faced her.

"Well I trust you will always remember this day as the day _Captain_ Jack Sparrow _almost_ escaped," he said proudly and mimicking sadness. His men took Jack by his arms and dragged him outside. She thought they would put her in handcuffs, but instead they just hold her arms tightly and drove her out.

They were right behind the Commodore and Jack.

"Darlin'… you know…," she tried to sound sensual while whispering to the man at her right so Norrington wouldn't hear her, but somehow she felt stupid. His face didn't even twitch or he didn't even throw her a glance. "I'm a whore for rebels… so if you'd just let me go, I could manage your little friend by myself… nobody would suspect you…," she whispered. "Then we could meet at—"

She was interrupted by Norrington's sword almost cutting off her nose, "Shut it. I shall inquire about your identity later."

It sounded as if he would trade her freedom for a little party in the bed, but she shook the idea off her head. She lied about the 'whore' thing anyway. She wouldn't have met him later even if he had freed her.

The rest of the walk was spent in silence, except for Jack's moans while he tried to wake up. Norrington would just hit him once again and he'd fall unconscious again. She sighed.

Once arrived, she noticed they weren't the only ones facing the gallows. About five men were pretending to do nothing while she was thrown with Jack in the second cage. As soon as the men left, she shook the already half-awake Jack.

"What is it, love?" he stood up and analysed his surroundings. "Wonderful."

"At least I saved your hat," she laughed and handed him the hat she had taken before leaving the blacksmith's. He smirked and put it on. "Now that we're damned anyway, you could tell me what you have been doing…," she said smiling and sitting down. She was angry for being condemned to death, but in the same time, she was happy to see Jack again. He sat in the opposite corner and put his hat over half of his face.

"What I do best, lass."

He meant pirating, of course. She sighed for getting such a plain answer. She wanted to know every second of his life.

"Unfortunately the ship got destroyed and I returned to Tortuga. You weren't there."

He looked at her from under her hat. She didn't know how to label that look.

"I stole Anamaria's boat and got here with the intention of commandeering a ship. Unfortunately that stupid wench had to fall in the sea and I had to save her and get caught"

"But why did you come here? There are so many ports, why this one?"

"Has the fastest ships I guess. And I heard you were here. Me presence wouldn't ager you, I said."

And he was right when he said that. Although it was a little too late, more than ten years had passed, and she was sure they wouldn't recognize themselves anymore. Now that she thought about it, he had really changed since she had last seen him. His hair was longer and messier, but he still had the red bandana. The hat really suited him, but the clothes hadn't changed much. His face was visibly more mature. His eyes were blacker, as if they had seen too many horrible things.

He watched her from under the hat. She had a little shorter hair; she had probably cut it. It was let loose. Her appearance was more lady-like, and the dress was far more elegant than last one. Her face was skinnier, an adult's face, but her eyes had still kept the playfulness he had enjoyed so much on the island. The playfulness that had taught him how to keep surviving. Her lips were red and half open. Her skin was still as tanned as he remembered.

"What about you?" he broke the silence, as she shuddered.

"Nothing interesting. I'd been waiting for you six years in Tortuga. You wouldn't come, and as I had grown tired of Tortuga… I moved here. Still the same job, if you ask."

"Some things never change," he said grinning. She looked away and smiled melancholically. "How's your little scar?" he asked her unexpectedly again. She hugged her knees and looked down, not wanting to talk about it. But she knew it was inevitable.

"Still there," she managed to say.

They remained silenced as the other prisoners tried to get the keys from the dog. They kept on whistling and taunting it, but it wouldn't move. Its fidelity truly amazed her.

"You can keep doing that forever; the dog is _never_ going to move."

He had probably grown tired of all the useless efforts and wanted to sleep, but his words seemed to be as useless as the taunting.

"Excuse us if we haven't resigned ourselves to the gallows just yet," one of them replied. Jack said nothing, but tilted his head back to the wall and smirked. He looked tired.

"Want some sleep?" she asked him. He nodded and moaned. She decided to let him be and get some for herself.

But not many minutes passed, and canons could be heard from not too far away. The prisoners immediately panicked, as Jack stood up, "I know those guns." He looked on the small window, "It's the _Pearl_"

"Move it," she pushed him away to see the ship in its entire splendor.

"_The Black Pearl?_" one of the prisoners asked. She was watching the canons fire and the boats heading to the shore and ravaging it all. She missed the days when she used to do the same thing.

"I've heard stories," another one said. Jack was listening to them and in the same trying to see something from behind Ivy. "She's been preying on ships and settlements for ten years. Never leaves any survivors."

"No survivors?" Jack replied when Ivy had finally moved away for him to watch the spectacle. "Then where do the stories come from, I wonder?" he smirked at them and returned to his little show. Ivy crossed her arms and leaned on the wall, hoping a canon would fire that way and they would be freed.

It didn't take too long and Jack suddenly jumped from the window over her. A loud bang was heard and when she opened her eyes, there was a huge hole in the wall. Unfortunately, it wasn't big enough on their side to escape. She watched sadly, as the others were happily running off. One of them stopped.

"My sympathies. You've no manner of luck at all."

"I guess it's my huge misfortune that beats up your luck," her bitter voice was heard once the man had run away. "Maybe you'll have more luck with the dog."

He patted her on the shoulder and reached for the bone they had left. He showed it to the dog, "Come on, doggy! It's just you and me now."

The dog tilted its head. She watched curious, as all tactics seemed to work when applied by Jack.

"It's you and old Jack. Come on. That's a boy! Get your bone!"

The dog slowly approached. She crossed her arms once again, bearing an amazed smile.

"Come on, you filthy, slimy, mangy character!"

As soon as he said that, they heard the door open and shot. A man, probably the guardian, fell down the stairs and the dog ran away. "No! I didn't mean it!" Jack shouted after the dog.

Two men descended and looked around, "This ain't the armory," one of them said.

She backed off in the shadows, visibly scared by them. Jack seemed to recognize them.

"Well, well, well. Look what we have here, Twigg._ Captain _Jack Sparrow!" one of them walked towards him and smirked. "Last time I saw you, you were all alone on a godforsaken island, shrinking into the distance."

"His fortunes aren't improved much," the other one added. They didn't seem to notice her, luckily.

"Worry about your own fortunes, gentlemen," Jack said. She suddenly remembered that he had been captain of _The Black Pearl, _before they met.

_So that must be the crew, _she thought.

"The deepest circle of Hell is reserved for betrayers and mutineers," he continued, but a hand around his neck stopped him. Under the moonlight, she could see the bones only. "So there is a curse. Interesting."

"You know nothing of Hell."

Those were their last words as they rushed outside, leaving Jack with the bone in his hand, muttering to himself, "That's very interesting."

* * *

**A/N: **I thought this would never end! I tried to make it as long as possible.

By the way, some reviews wouldn't be bad. I'd really like to know what you think. :)


	4. The Best Choice

**IV **

**The Best Choice**

"I see you have improved your collection of weird things in your hair," she said, trying to initiate an entertaining conversation. He laughed and took one of his bangs, the most decorated one. He studied as if it weren't his and she leaned towards him to look at them better. "One for every adventure, am I right?" He nodded and smiled. He was so simple. She walked around him, inspecting his appearance. At the sight of something resembling to a bone in his hair, she stopped as if she had walked in an imaginary wall.

"What."

She hesitantly touched it, fearing it was alive or something. He laughed and explained, "That's a reindeer."

"Oh."

_Of course it is._

Ivy slowly backed away as Jack's laughter turned into a sigh. "It's not going to bite you, I promise." She didn't seem too satisfied with the statement and still refused to come anywhere near him. They now stood in opposed corners of the cell.

"I see I'm not the only one who has changed," he said slightly amused and studied her appearance again. She looked away. "You've grown."

"That's what mortals do. They get old," she replied, faking melancholy. It wasn't as if she didn't enjoy being a mortal. Life was enough uninteresting as a mortal, and imagining she was an immortal would be worse. Days would pass even slower and nothing would happen.

His thoughts were exactly the opposite. He wanted to sail the seas for eternity, he wanted to reach immortality, to be with his love – the sea, forever.

The noise had finally stopped. There wasn't so much agitation as before outside, but they could still hear the men behind the canons argue.

"It's leaving!"

They were now cheering. She closed her eyes and leaned her head on the wall. Although she could feel the fatigue, she couldn't sleep. She wanted to know if everything was real. If Jack had really returned. The sight of him sleeping with his hat almost falling off his head reassured her. She silently got up and carefully put it back on his head. He showed a slender sign of discomfort and she rearranged it.

She went back to her corner and leaned her head on the wall again. Now she could sleep peacefully. He was there.

* * *

She woke up because of the sound of metal and growls of desperation.

"Wha' the heck're ye doin', Jack?" she said not even bothering to open her mouth too much, rubbed her eyes and watched Jack trying to unlock the door with the reindeer bone. She wasn't leaning on the wall anymore; she was lying in the hay.

"Escaping," he said and pulled harder. The lock was as sure as it had been left.

"Good luck," was all she said and closed her eyes. He continued growling and getting no results whatsoever until he heard someone coming down the stairs. He threw himself near her and tied the bone back.

The man he had fought before going unconscious was rushing, visibly worried.

"You! Sparrow!" he shouted.

Jack lifted his head and looked at him as if nothing had happened, "Aye?"

"You are familiar with the Black Pearl?" he asked, probably not believing he was asking help from a pirate. When she sat and looked at Jack, she saw a sparkle of hope in his eyes, but he lied back and looked at his rings. "I've heard of it," he said as carelessly as before. She sighed. In his place, she would jump up and offer her help. It could've helped them escape.

"Where does it make berth?" the man asked. Ivy laughed, putting a finger over Jack's lips. She wanted to answer.

"Have you not heard the stories, darlin'?" she said, standing and slowly moving toward the bars. He looked confused at her smirk.

"Captain Barbossa and his crew of miscreants sail from the dreaded Isla de Muerta," Jack spat, interrupting her little play and catching the man's attention. She didn't give up.

"It's an island that cannot be found, except by those who already know where it is," she said and pointed to Jack behind her.

"The ship's real enough, therefore its anchorage must be a real place. Where is it?" he said as his patience was visibly growing… thinner. She turned her back at the man and faced Jack, an inquired look all over her face. She was curious to know herself. But he didn't even seem to notice her as he played with his rings again.

"Why ask me?"

The man rolled his eyes, "Because you're a pirate."

"And you want to turn pirate yourself. Is that it?"

"Never!" he shouted. It was clear Jack had touched a nerve there. He calmed down, seeing Jack abandoning his interest again. "They took Miss Swann."

"Oh! So it is that you found a girl!" Jack smirked and sat. "I see! Well, if you intend to brave all, hasten to her rescue, and so, win fair lady's heart, you'll have to do it alone, mate."

He looked at Ivy. She turned back to the man and completed, "There's no profit in it for us."

"I can get you out of here," he said. She raised an eyebrow.

"How's that? The key's run off."

"I helped build these cells. These are half-pin barrel hinges. With the right leverage and the proper application of strength, the door will lift free," he said, while lifting a bench and putting it through the grill. She turned again to Jack and lifted her eyebrows in awe. He seemed thoughtful.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"Will Turner."

"That would be short for William, I imagine. Good, strong name," he straightened his back and smirked. "No doubt named for your father, aye?"

Will hesitated, "Yes."

"Well, Mr. Turner, I've changed me mind," Jack said and stood. "If you spring us from here, I swear, on pain of death, we shall take you to the Black Pearl, and your bonny lass."

She frowned, but nobody noticed her, as usual. _Nobody asking me? I could've escaped with some flattering, _she thought and sighed, as Will freed them.

"Hurry! Someone would've heard that!"

"Not without my effects!" Jack said and rushed to take them. Fortunately, nobody had heard them. They sneaked out without problems and Jack had finished telling Will the plan until they reached the beach.

They had to pretend stealing the ship and then sneak on the other one.

"We're going to steal a ship?" Will asked. He looked in the same direction as Jack and asked again, "That ship?"

"_Commandeer,_" Ivy corrected. "We're going to _commandeer_ that ship."

"Nautical term," Jack added, hoping the confused look on Will's face would disappear. "One question about your business, or there's no use going: This girl, how far are you willing to go to save her?" he continued. She was curious to know his answer, so she turned her head to him.

"I'd die for her," he said, a bit too confident.

"Oh, good! No worries then!"

They hid under a boat and walked under it… underwater.

"And where'd you learn this trick?" she asked Jack, having the sensation they would drown in any moment. Her dress was constantly lifting up in the water, and she had to straighten it back, taking her hands off the boat and in that way causing her to be left behind.

"Singapore."

His answer was simple, and followed by Will's statement, "This is either madness, or brilliance."

"It's remarkable how often those two traits coincide."

"I've gotten used to it," Ivy said, trying to fix the dress somehow to her body. Will let out a little laugh.

They finally reached their destination and climbed up the ship. Of course, having a long dress soaking on her wasn't the easiest way of climbing, so Jack had to make sure she wouldn't fall and give the alarm by holding her tightly around the waist. She continually complained about how she could manage it by herself, although she had almost fallen three times.

She crossed her arms once up, because of the wind that would make her feel even colder. Jack and Will descended and made their intentions clear. She didn't pay much attention. The men were forced to leave the ship and Jack decided to continue their short act. He was telling Will what to do with the sails when she decided to go inspect the ship a little.

There weren't many interesting things in the Captain's cabin. Many books, some maps and a golden pocket watch. She took it from the table and looked at it. When opening it, she saw it had also a compass, something very useful if she was going to be on the sea for the next days. She decided to keep it and tied it around her neck, as she didn't have any pockets. In the little closet, there were some clothes of the navy, too big for her. In the back of it, she found a big belt, resembling to Jack's, but black and shinier, probably new or never used before. She fixed it around her waist, took the watch off her neck and hanged it by the belt.

Seeing there wasn't anything interesting to see anymore, she exited the cabin. Jack and Will weren't there anymore. She looked around and saw Jack at the wheel. He was probably pretending anyway. As soon as she decided to go up and see if there was any movement in the port, Will came running pass her to Jack. She ran after him.

"Here they come!" he said and Jack turned his back to him, looking at the port. She did the same. _The Interceptor_ was rapidly approaching. "What if they try and come after us?" Will asked.

"Disable the rudder chain. That'd do it," Ivy stated, turning back to Will and smiling. Jack pushed her down to the main deck and told her to get a rope and hide.

It didn't take long before men of the navy jumped on the deck of _The Dauntless._ Jack made them sign when I was clear, and they swung to the other side. Will cut off the ropes and Jack ran to the wheel. The Commodore apparently realized _The Interceptor_ was moving and ordered his men to go back on it. Unfortunately for him, it was too late.

"Thank you, Commodore, for getting us ready to make way!" Jack shouted, waving his hat but still trying to keep focused on the wheel.

"We were having a hard time by ourselves!" Ivy added, waving and winking. Of course, they were too far away to see she had winked, but it was added to her own satisfaction.

It was time for a second little investigation. The first target was, of course, the Captain's cabin. It was bigger this time, as _The Interceptor_, from what she had heard, was one of the navy's best ships. She wanted to get rid of the half ripped off dress, which sadly happened to be her favorite one. That was, before it had been destroyed. In the back of the room was a big closet. She found a pair of very big pants and a white shirt. The shirt was rather dirty and big itself, but it was better than a dress anyway.

_Why do all clothes have to be either not suitable for the situation or too big?_

She tied back the black belt and the pocket watch, and put on some boots.

* * *

**A/N: **I've thought of making shorter chapters. I tend to get bored when facing long chapters, so maybe that's why I ain't getting too many reviews lol. Anyhow, I'm not going to abandon the story, for you the few ones that are reading it. xD I get pretty bored copying lines from the movie, so expect many moments that aren't shown in the movie as being the most 'exploited' ones. I like original things, hmph. I never thought I'd write fiction about a movie though. It's fresh air for me. Next target I guess will be books.


	5. Quarrel

**V**

**Quarrel**

When she exited the cabin too look for Jack, she was surprised to see Will hanging by the ship, almost falling in the sea. Apparently, Jack had done it, as he was at the wheel.

"What the heck are you doin'?" Ivy yelled from the deck. Jack didn't look at her, but made her sign with the finger to shut it. She crossed her arms and frowned, waiting to see if he was going to drop Will or not.

After exchanging some words, Jack finally decided to bring him back on the ship by turning the wheel. He drew out his sword and asked Will – who was lying on the floor – something. At that point, Ivy climbed the stairs and was able to hear the last words of their conversation.

"Tortuga?" Will asked, kind of stunned.

Jack smirked and replied, "Tortuga."

"Tortuga?" Ivy asked again.

This time, Jack frowned and said, "Don't make me repeat myself."

"What?" she said and arched an eyebrow.

"Don't make me say 'Tortuga' again."

She blinked, "You already did." He frowned to himself, probably trying to understand how he could've let himself be fooled that way. She made Will sign to leave. He nodded and Jack watched him walk away as Ivy moved closer to him. "Jack."

"Yes, love?" he said, still watching Will. She supposed it was an excuse to not look in her eyes. Who knew what he thought she wanted.

"Ummm," she started, biting her lip because she initiated a conversation without knowing how to begin. "Do you… are… does it… can… argh…," she mentally slapped herself.

"You can say it loud an' clear, darlin'. I know you want it," Jack gained more courage (if that's even possible) and moved towards her, smirking. He put his arm around her neck and tried to remove the distance between their faces. Although she had a slight idea of what he meant, she didn't oppose.

"Is it really alright?" she shyly asked. He smirked even more.

"Yes, but wait until tonight."

Her eyes widened and he received a slap. He touched his now red cheek and turned to her. "What was that for?"

"For mistaking me for what I am not."

"Then what did you want?" he desperately cried. "What can you be so ashamed to ask for?"

"I wanted _money_. I didn't have any when they locked us! And, besides, it was your fault we got caught!"

"And yet you think you can earn some with that attitude of yours?"

"Oh just shut it!"

_I don't even want it anymore,_ she mentally added and turned around. _Not from such an idiot. _As she walked away, he stopped her by grabbing her arm. She jerked his hand off. "What?"

"What do you want to do with the money?" Jack said, slowly regaining his calm. She relaxed her shoulders and looked down.

"I wanted to buy a sword."

"_Wanted?_"

"Well, I don't want it anymore."

"Women," he whispered to himself and narrowed his eyes. "What are you gonna do with a sword anyway? You can't even fight."

"Oh yes I can!" she protested, but hoped he wouldn't challenge her. They only had one sword, after all. _Oh no. Wait!_

"Will!" Jack ran away to the other side of the ship. He was going to take Will's sword.

"Wait! No!" she ran after him, stumbling on the stairs because of the big clothes and almost falling over Jack. He smirked at her clumsiness. "No duel."

"Why? You can fight, can't you?" he said, smirking even more. She breathed heavily and tried to find a way out of the mess she had created.

"Of course I can! But not with that sword."

Jack raised an eyebrow, "Does it bite, or what?"

She had gone too far with the lies. She needed to distract him, to make him forget about the whole business. And she had to do it in a rational and peaceful way. A fight would only make it worse and she might have ended abandoned in the middle of the Caribbean Sea. She bit her lip again, seeing Jack's inquiring face.

"MAN OVERBOARD!"

Not the most rational method, but at least it was peaceful.

"Huh?" Jack and Will both turned around to see if there was anybody out in the water. Understanding it was all a diversion, Jack looked after Ivy and saw her running away to the Captain's cabin. "Bad place to hide," he said and ran after her. She locked the door and barricaded it with her body. He punched it several times, but she kept on resisting.

He tried to knock the door down by running into it, but it didn't work. She moved away from it, hoping the lock would resist. She had no idea where to go, and was looking around for an exit. The only ways of getting out were the windows. She had to use them somehow. Or maybe she could run in circles, hoping Jack would follow her and then run out and lock him there. But that one was too risky.

The lock was starting to loosen. She moved toward one of the windows. He managed to knock the door down and as soon as he spotted her, he ran towards her.

"MAN OVERBOARD!" she screamed again. He stopped for a second, but continued, not being fooled for the second time.

"Not this time, lass."

He passed from running to walking, seeing she had no way to escape. That is, if she wasn't mad enough to jump off the ship. She could go swim back to Port Royal for all he cared. He opened his arms as for a hug, and unexpectedly she did the same. She knew the hug was ironical, but she had a plan. As soon as she had her arms clenched around his waist, she used all her remaining strength to push him towards and through the window.

He hung by the edge of it and she bent over him. She smirked, he frowned.

"Man overboard," she boringly said and stamped over his fingers, making him fall into the water.

"UNGRATEFUL WENCH!" he yelled.

She smiled at her accomplishment but knew she wouldn't get over Will. He wanted to free Elizabeth or whatever her name was, and it was only by the help of Jack he could do that. And nor could she do the same with him. Sailing a ship by her own wasn't something she'd looked forward to. Anyway, she was on it just for filling. Well, at least the image of a soaked wet Captain Jack Sparrow could be added to her personal satisfaction, even if it would only last for some minutes.

_If only I could lengthen it by avoiding Will…_

As soon as she turned away from the window, Will appeared with his sword pointing at her neck.

"Speaking of the devil," she whispered and laughed to herself. He convinced her to take Jack back on the ship. More like forced, but whatever.

As he was climbing, Jack murmured something between his teeth, something about making her pay for it. She didn't pay attention, hoping that if ignored, he would shut up. But he didn't. Immediately after he got on deck, he drew out his sword and pointed it to her neck, a threatening glare all over his face. She still didn't say a word.

"I got you out of prison."

"And you got me in as well."

His sword touched her skin. She closed one eye and tried to find the words to calm him down. Fortunately, Will did it in her place.

"If you're going to kill each other, do it after we save Elizabeth, please," he said and moved Jack's sword away from her. He frowned and returned to his place – the wheel. She went to the railing and watched the sea.

* * *

**A/N:** Blah, this one was kinda sloppy. It's from the heat, I tell you (40° C for fuck's sake). Please review and tell me what you think anyway. :)


	6. A Thoughtful Night

**VI**

**A Thoughtful Night**

She was resting her arms on the railing, watching the slow waves fade away in the sunset. Will sometimes passed by, but he would not stop and join her, since he was busy with the ship. Better said Jack's caprices. As he ran from one part of the ship to another, Ivy could notice the little something that was begging for her help in his face. However, butting in his jobs would mean talking to the Captain, and that she did not want.

It was much more pleasant doing nothing. After all, she was a pirate. Will was the one who should sail under the command of two pirates.

Or… was Ivy really a pirate?

Had she forgotten the traditions, the smell of the salty water in the middle of the ocean? It seemed she had, as the feeling of something new blended in her senses. But what if the idea of her little trip was to remember it all? Maybe it was destiny after all. Maybe she really belonged to the sea. Wherever she was going, something was always missing. The feeling of incomplete was there every time, devouring her little by little.

The ship rocked. Ivy tried to get a better grip on the railing, but failed and fell to the ground, hitting the back of her head on the mast. She yelped, mostly because of surprise than pain. However, something told her it was no coincidence. There was not any ship around and nor did a storm show up. And the feeling of two amused eyes staring her didn't calm her down.

"JACK SPARROW!" she shouted knowing who the guilty was.

"CAPTAIN," he spat back.

"WHATEVER." She stood up and straightened her back, facing the very proud Captain. He was smirking at her, leaning with his back to the wheel. "What was that for?"

His smirk disappeared for a second and he seemed to search for his words at first. "You gave such a thoughtful impression, I believed a little shake would bring you back on ground," he said, trying to imitate with his hand the shaking of the ship. His voice sounded amused but slightly annoyed in the same time.

She rolled her eyes, "Could've done that without almost leaving me unconscious."

Consequently, because of her bitter attitude, they both remained speechless. She returned to her previous position and he went back behind the wheel. It was still feeling awkward for them both, and she still felt eyes on her. Not sure if they were amused anymore though.

_Why ain't he mad? _she thought.

_Probably because he wants to drive __**you**__ mad by making you ask why he ain't mad, _she answered. Talking to herself was something usual since childhood.

_Yeah, good point._

_By the way... don't get me wrong but I also think he gave you a chance._

_A chance to what? To throw myself off the ship?_

_No, a chance to forget that little incident._

She shivered at the thought. _Incident? Better said crime._

_Anyhow, don't you share my opinion? He looked as if he wanted to pretend nothing has happened._

She crossed her arms and frowned, concentrating on that idea. What if he was feeling awkward about it as well? She tilted her head and gradually turned it to watch him with the corner of the eye. He seemed to be quite carefree. Almost falling asleep over the wheel, but still feeling probably well.

_Maybe he doesn't have conscience. _

_That'd be a good answer to all our problems._

Leaving the sarcastic monologue aside, she sighed and changed position: supporting her head with her hand, by the forehead. Her eyes were closed, but her ears were working at their best. The most relaxing sound was filling her mind: waves. However, that did not stop her from frowning under her fingers.

The sea always made her too emotional and thoughtful. Moreover, it looked like she was not the only one to notice that.

"Standing there like that makes you look… constipated."

_Oh, really?_

Ivy opened her eyes but still did not switch position. She saw Jack standing near her, arms crossed and head tilted to the right.

_Give him a chance as well! Don't ruin it!_

_Kick him under the belt!_

Her brain was telling these words, and in some moments, she had to decide which to obey. Hard decision it was. The ship was screeching and the sea hit it with more power than before. Most likely, those annoying sounds had been there before also, but it was only then she noticed them. She measured her options.

Give him a chance – why? Did he give her one? He only gave her a chance to quarrel again.

Kick him under the belt – reformulated, it would have probably been the best alternative. A slap would be enough.

In the end, she could not bring herself to be so cruel, "…hi."

He raised an eyebrow, "Good evening."

They stared at each other. Jack's nose twitched.

_Why won't he say something?_

"All right, lass. Have it your way," he started, waving both his hands as if he said 'stop!', "I've been thrown overboard my own ship by an unthankful wench as you are, I have spared your worthless life, and now you want me to come to you and bow and kiss your feet saying I'm awfully sorry?"

She arched her eyebrows and started laughing. "Nobody said you should beg for excuses, Jack."

Although one part of her brain was saying, _Bow down and kiss my feet 'cause I let you go with only that and didn't stalk you all through the ship._

_Shut up._

_You know you want it._

She shook her head, making him back off and stare at her in wonder. After some moments of silence, realizing he was expecting her to tell him she was the sorry one, she continued, "Oh, look. Let's just pretend it didn't happen and let my left brain unite with the right one again, please."

He lifted his head and gave her his hand. "Deal."

"Now… how about dinner?"

They both nodded and as Jack went searching for supplies, Ivy called Will and prepared the table. They were dining in the Captain's cabin. He proved to be a total disaster when it came to matters of elegance. _He's a blacksmith after all. Can't expect much. _She had to tell him everything, where the forks and knifes should be placed, and so on. Coming to think about it, why did it matter? They were on a ship, now pirate ship, who cared whether they were having an elegant dinner or not? _Principles, _she shut herself up.

Ivy was lighting the candles when a loud bang was heard from under. Jack had already made three ways from the cellar back, and had brought more than enough food for a single three-person dinner. She wondered how much food there really was under there.

"I'll go see what it was," she said and left Will alone, hoping he would not screw everything up during her short absence.

She descended and was surprised by the darkness of the cellar. It was to be expected, but not from somebody who had not been on a ship for more than ten years. Using her hands to guide herself through the room, she walked towards the possible source of the bang. Something suddenly grabbed her foot. She screamed.

"Calm down, it's only me!"

Narrowing her eyes, Ivy saw a figure on the floor, and judging by the sound of its voice, it was Jack. She asked him what he was doing, and got a simple growl as a reply. After helping him up, she exited together with him and realized what he was so upset about. In his hand was a _half-empty_ bottle of rum.

Maybe it was not such a big thing to fuss about for most of the people, but she remembered how frustrating it was for her to know somebody had taken a sip of _her _rum. The same thing applied to Jack, even though it was not really his bottle.

They exited the cellar, discussing about how lucky they were that Norrington had managed to supply the ship with food before chasing after them. He had probably decided to search for Elizabeth with _The Interceptor._ Well, now that his plans were ruined, she felt some pity for him. The reasons why he was so obsessed over the unfortunate lass were unknown to her, though.

The three of them dined in candlelight. Ivy ate some vegetables and a little piece of meat. For the Navy's food, it was rather tasteless, so her appetite disappeared after the first bite, but she continued eating just to be sure her stomach would not growl later. She was the first to leave the table and wish a good night to everybody.

Fearing to be left alone, Ivy waited until Will finished on the main deck. She leaned towards the mast and breathed deeply the salty air. The only thing illuminating the ship were the candles from inside, but they did not help much. The waves were not as aggressive as during the day, so she could barely hear them. The wind was not blowing, everything was too calm and not even Will's or Jack's voice could be heard.

Her nose twitched and she brought her finger to her mouth, to chew on it.

_There's too much silence._

With her other hand, Ivy grabbed a rope that was hanging down from the sails to help her stand. She felt like she was seasick, although she knew for sure that was not the problem. She thought she had overcome it long ago. The silence was driving her mad, and she hugged herself as the world started to turn around her. Fearing to fall get close to the railing, she backed off until she reached the door to the Captain's cabin.

There was too much for her to bear, memories overflowed her head and she fell to her knees, trembling and staring at nothing.

"Ivy? Where are you?" asked a voice, followed by heavy sets of footsteps.

She did not lift her head. The thumps of weighty boots approached, and in an end found her. She was hidden under the stairs, near the Captain's cabin. Jack grabbed her by the arms and squeezed her. She was breathing heavily and looking somewhere far away. In the end, her head fell forwards and she closed her eyes.

* * *

"Mum?" a little girl asked, walking timidly through the open door. A tall female figure appeared in front of her, giving her an ice-cold glare. The woman pushed her back inside and closed the door. However, as soon as she thought it was over, the door hit a resistance. She opened again and saw that the girl had put her feet in front of it.

"Can't I go outside?"

The girl's voice was innocent, but for some reason, the woman appeared furious, and as if she had been insulted, slapped the girl. She landed on her back, far away in the room. The woman closed the door and locked it.

Inside, tears were flowing unstoppably.

* * *

"You shouldn't be out this late, darling"

She turned around with a shudder, and as soon as she realized who it was, she calmed down and smiled, "Hi Captain" It was dark, and everybody on the ship was asleep, beside the two of them. "I know it is, but I can only get out at this time. Mum won't let me see the sun but through that stupid dirty window"

She crossed her arms and adopted a furious position. "...so at least I can go out and see the moon," she continued, whispering.

He smiled and patted her on the shoulder, "We'll have to clean it, then. That way you'd be able to see both the sun and the moon"

Her eyes widened and she lowered her arms, "Really? Would you do that for me?"

The Captain nodded, and the wind blew his dark hair to the side shaking the many crosses attached to his bangs and almost taking off his hat along with the huge feathers on it. "Would you like to see how it's up in the Crow's Nest?"

"What's that?" she asked, and he pointed to the top of the ship. Her mouth widened alongside with her eyes as she screamed a 'yes'.

* * *

_Wasn't that girl I?_

I opened my eyes and calmly held my head with both hands.

* * *

**A/N: **Yes, changing POV. I had planned it, so don't worry. 'Till now, everything has gone as I had planned. :)

Maybe you have not understood too many things from the flashbacks, but stay calm, it will be explained later.


	7. Anchoring

**VII**

**Anchoring**

I found myself lying in a hammock, in a quite dark place. The only thing lighting the room – or whatever place I was in – was a candle. The light it created was faint, as it had almost burnt away. I did not get out immediately, waiting for the dizziness in my head to fade away. As I lay and tried to focus on something that would bring me back to reality, the short dream I had had popped up in my memory. There stood the Captain, the only person who would show me any sign of affection, smiling at me, and reminding me of someone.

I could not think clearly, so as hard as I tried, I could not bring myself to recognize the person he was reminding me of. I thought it was just a feeling, and it would soon disappear.

Deciding I had procrastinated a little too much, I sat in the hammock, almost loosing balance, and after I made sure my feet could bear the weight of my body, I stood up. I tried to take the candle, but the wax had melted and was burning around it, so I decided to blow it out and grope my way out of that place. There were stairs at the end of the room and when I ascended them (almost crawling, because I didn't want to fall off), I found out I had been in the crew's quarters all along.

I was still on _The Black Pearl._ However, not on sea anymore. The ship was anchored, and as I was to discover, in Tortuga.

Adjusting my eyes to the darkness, I could see a figure moving near the railing. As I approached, I distinguished Jack's silhouette bending over and making sure everything was all right with the anchor and whatever else the ship needed.

I was not an expert in ships. I did not really remember how to anchor, how to steer it (well that – I think – wasn't so hard, although I would probably sink some ships before becoming an expert). Back on my ship, all I did was give orders. Sometimes I would go at the wheel and peek at how the quartermaster steered it, but I never really touched it. No wonder I had been marooned.

"Jack?" I asked, and he sharply turned around at the sound of my voice. Smirking, he approached me in his swingy way and studied me as if he tried to remember who I was.

"Yes, darling. Good timing! We were about to leave you behind if you wouldn't wake up"

"Why, such gentlemen," I sarcastically remarked. "Where's Will?"

The question answered itself when a loud bang was heard and when I turned around, I saw Will lying half-unconscious on the floor. "Oh" both Jack and I concluded. Apparently, something had gotten stuck in the sails, and he wanted to remove it, as Jack told me on the way to _The Faithful Bride._

Tortuga was still as I had remembered: pirates yelling at each other, or worse, shooting at each other. On the ground: many other pirates that had passed out from too much rum, dead ones or just sleeping ones. There was a lot of noise, even music. Unfortunately, many played different songs, so it turned out to be a total mess.

Jack poked me and pointed to a passed out pirate. I did not understand at first what he meant. "You don't really need money for a sword, lass," he said and I cautiously took said pirate's sword. I swung it a bit before shoving it into my belt and ran after Jack and Will that seemingly had not waited for me.

"It is a sad life that has never breathed deep the sweet, proliferous bouquet that is Tortuga. Savvy?" Jack said, grabbing a random man's cane and toying around with it. Will did not seem too pleased with the town's appearance, as wild as it was, since he had been living in 'elegant' Port Royal for all his life. Noticing this, Jack asked for his opinion, "What do you think?"

"It'll linger," was all he quietly replied.

"I'll tell you, mate," Jack said, stopping. "If every town were like this one, no man would ever feel unwanted"

That was when a red haired woman, dressed in a red dress approached, a very angry expression covering her pretty face. Jack recognized her and walked towards her, his arms open as if he wanted to give her a hug. "Scarlett!" He almost did not even finish exclaiming her name as she slapped him so hard, his head twisted. "Not sure I deserved that," he added as for himself.

And then I saw her.

The blonde woman, Giselle. I had been in a kind of rivalry with her during my days in Tortuga. I just liked to tease her, stealing her possible 'clients'.

She approached, and Jack tried the same thing with her.

"Who was she?" she asked.

"Wha'?"

He got slapped, and when I thought she had not noticed me, I sighed in relief. However, she had. Immediately she walked towards me. I stared at her, and she narrowed her eyes at me.

"Now every man asks where _you_ are"

"Huh?"

I got slapped. _I_ got slapped.

She furiously walked away and left two bewildered men stare at me. First, I did not really get the point, but then I understood why Jack's mouth was opened in puzzlement. Giselle was, in effect, a prostitute.

"Is that what you have been doing for all those years?" Jack asked, in a way disgusted and shocked at the same time. I did not know exactly why, since he was a rather known man amongst 'Tortuga wenches' and I thought he enjoyed them.

"No. I was working at the bar. _They _were hitting on me." He raised an eyebrow, not believing me. I sighed, "I was drunk, all right?"

"Oh"

He nodded and continued his way. It seemed that excuse was the superlative one. Nothing could deny it. I made a self-note to use that more often.

They entered a pig-house. I waited outside because of the insupportable smell. When they exited, they were accompanied by a fat man, all wet, and I learned his name was Joshamee Gibbs, and he was to help us find a crew.

The next location was _The Faithful Bride._ As soon as we entered, I noticed nothing had really changed. Some of the customers were the same, only the 'waitresses' had changed. That was fortunate, as I did not want to be recognized by anyone. Picking the most isolated table, Jack whispered something that seemed to alarm Will before sitting down. I joined him and Gibbs. Will preferred to look around.

"Now, what's the nature of this venture of your'n?" Gibbs asked, lowering his head and trying to be as quiet as possible. He lifted the cup to his mouth.

"I'm going after _The Black Pearl_," Jack answered, and no sooner Gibbs choked on his rum. Noticing his worried expression, Jack decided to explain. "I know where it's goin' to be, and I'm gonna take it!" Sadly, he still hadn't convinced Gibbs.

"Jack, it's a fool's errand," he responded shaking his head. "You know better than me the tales of _The Black Pearl_" He looked extremely skeptical.

"That's why I know what Barbossa is up to. All I need is a crew"

I had not understood much of the conversation. I did not know exactly who Barbossa was; I only had a little idea that he could be the first mate that had led the mutiny against him. But that was only an idea after all, and I was not going to lay to that.

"Captain Barbossa is not a man to suffer fools," Gibbs remarked, slightly amused, "nor strike a bargain with one"

Jack replied with a smile, "It's a good thing I'm not a fool, then"

"Prove me wrong! What makes you think Barbossa will give up his ship to you?"

"Let's just say it's a matter of leverage"

_All right, now I don't understand anything anymore. _I wanted to say it aloud, but I decided to let them finish at least. I would make one of them explain it to me later. Jack pointed at Will with his head. After a few more attempts, Gibbs caught it.

"The kid?"

Jack simply nodded. He looked at me. I do not know for sure what expression I had, but I think it was one that needed farther explanations. "That's the child of Bootstrap Bill Turner"

"So what?" I rudely intruded (Come to think of it, nothing was actually rude anymore in that place...).

Jack ignored me, and I noticed Gibbs surprised figure. "His only child, savvy?"

"_Who_ is Bootstrap Bill Turner?"

They ignored me again, and Gibbs turned to Will, asking as for himself, "Is he now...?" His face brightened suddenly, "Leverage, says you. I feel a change in the wind, says I"

_And I feel a change in my head. I think my sanity has gone for a run. _

"I'll find us a crew. There's bound to be some sailors on this rock as crazy as you"

"One can only hope!"

With those last words, they made their grand pirate-y finale and retreated. The crew was to be ready by tomorrow, as Gibbs had promised. Will stayed suspicious for the rest of the night, choosing the most far-away corner of the crew's quarters to sleep in.

I decided to stay a little longer on the deck with Jack, to let him make clear the words he had shared with Gibbs. Therefore, my theory was proven correct. Barbossa really was the head-mutineer, so to speak. He did not want to get too deep in that topic, so he continued explaining who Bootstrap Bill Turner was.

I learned he was dead, and he cursed crew on _The Black Pearl_ needed his blood to lift the curse. Although he did not have time to tell me why, as I started to yawn and interrupt him. He became mad and told me to go to sleep.

Everything started to make sense suddenly. I felt bad for Will, and gave him right to act so suspicious. But still, I feared he would learn the truth. I did not want it to end in blood between him and Jack.

"Aren't you going to sleep, Cap'n?" I asked Jack before descending to the quarter. He shook his head and headed for the ship's outlet.

"I'm gonna check the new stuff they brought"

"Shopping at this late hour?" I inquired, arching my eyebrows and tilting my head in a questioning way.

He smirked, "Not that kinda stuff"

I nodded, finally getting it. "Well, not blaming ye," I smiled and descended to the hammocks.

"Whaddya mean?" Jack's voice was heard after a few moments, but I decided I was too lazy to get up and explain, and shouting would not have been a solution as Will was sleeping. I picked a hammock near the window on the starboard side. Before getting into it, I prayed everyone would get out of this mess alive.

The hammock was very hard to get in, and as soon as I laid my body, I constantly had the impression I would fall off, so I slowly covered my body with the blanket, and stayed face to the window, ignoring how uncomfortable it was. The lights of the town were almost shouting at me now.

I watched Jack proudly walking on the dock. It could be clearly seen in his walk he was going to enjoy this night. Not like me. I was to stay in that cold, uncomfortable place, and I started to fear I would never fall asleep.

But as soon as he disappeared from my visual range, I fell asleep.

* * *

**A/N: **Ah, finally. I don't have much to say about it. I'm sorry it took so much. I have been playing a stupid game for two weeks and I simply _can't stop._ It's such a pain in the ass, I can't do _anything_ because of it.

Please review, I want to get inspired. It doesn't matter what you say. JUST LET ME KNOW YOU'RE READING IT. (Of course, no flaming. I can do that by myself, thank you)


	8. Isla de Muerta I

**VIII**

**Isla de Muerta I  
**

I woke up earlier than Will. At first, I thought I woke up earlier than Jack too, but after I heard sounds of pacing from the dock, a loud thump and some ugly swearing, I realized I was wrong. My back did not let me leave the hammock some moments, so I lay in it awake before making my way out of the quarter.

The sunlight violently hit my eyes when I got on deck. Nobody was there, so I sat on the stairs by the door to the Captain's cabin, watching the sunrise. Silence overwhelmed the town, making sure it was still not an early one. Some men were anchoring their ship near ours, and were staring weirdly at it, probably because of its colours. It was clear it was the Royal Navy's ship, and that would have been a sign to worry at. They noticed me and slightly bowed. I laughed.

"No need to worry, mates. We just forgot to replace the bloody flag," I shouted and winked at them. They sighed in relief and waved their hats at me.

That was when I came to realize I was not the only one facing confusion problems. Jack came from below deck, carrying a man that seemed to be dead. His eyes were closed, and Jack was ranting.

"What... happened while I was asleep?" I asked, running to help him throw the man overboard.

"This one? Oh, he's just a drunk scallywag. He's still alive I think."

As soon as he hit the water, the man coughed and swam to land, as if nothing happened. I guessed he did that every night. I looked back at Jack and noted how his eyes were almost shutting by themselves. He visibly made huge efforts to stay awake.

"Have you been... having fun all night?" I asked, trying to look irritated like a mother, but apparently failing. Or maybe he was just too tired to notice.

"Not really. I didn't even get to touch the wench," he replied, frowning and trying to make me understand he did not want to talk about that. I insisted.

"Why so?"

His nose twitched, "I saw a man climbing aboard the damned ship. He was gone when I came on deck, but to make sure, I decided to take a look 'round it. The scamp was holding a cutlass above your head when I descended to the crew's quarter."

My eyes widened and I covered my mouth with both hands. "What? Why was he doing that?"

"Let me finish, lass," he spat. "So I saw him there, ready to kill the poor girl you were, and I punched him in the face. He went half-unconscious, and before deciding to send him to the Locker, I asked him what the bloody hell he was doing aboard my ship, tryin' to kill one of my men. Or... women, sorry." I raised an eyebrow and made him sign to continue. "He said he thought we were from the Navy."

"So what did you do to him?"

"Let him go. I'd have probably done the same thing anyways," he replied, staring at the horizon in a weird way, as if he was remembering something.

"Why didn't you go to sleep after that?" I asked.

"Another one came"

I motioned an "Oh" with my mouth, but no sound came out.

"...and then another," he said and supported his elbow on the railing and his chin in his hand. I had never seen a man so tired in my life, and I must say that kind of attitude surely did not fit Jack. Therefore, I told him to wait for me right there, and I went down to the cellar, where I was sure to find some rum that would wake him up a little.

That or he would fall asleep even faster.

However, I remembered what he had told me back on that island, more than ten years ago. "_As drunk as I may seem, I'm still more sober than a person who's never felt alcohol on the tongue,_" I quoted him, walking down the stairs. I did not find any rum. Apparently, someone had drunk it all. My thoughts ran to Sparrow, in a desperate trial to dust his tiredness away. But he looked like one hell of a sober man, and I remembered the one we had thrown in the sea.

Instead of rum, I found a bottle of gin. I analyzed it before ascending back to the deck. Now then, it was better than nothing.

I saw Will's empty hammock on the way. After, I saw him on the deck, putting a snoring Captain Jack Sparrow on the stairs to the wheel. I made an unsatisfied grimace, and motioned Will to the side.

"Gibbs is here with the crew," he said, looking over the railing. "What will he do with him?"

"He has to be there. He's their future captain, after all," I said and tried to shake Jack. He made no sign he would want to wake up. Will came in front of me and slapped him lightly. It still did not work. "Boy, I think he has had so many of those, he probably doesn't even feel them anymore," I stated. Then I told Will to back of a little, and I raised my hand to give Jack the hardest slap he would ever remember.

He woke up right before my hand touched his cheek, but it was too late to stop it, and I had terribly wanted to do that, anyways.

_SLAP._

He did not say anything. He stared at me, bewildered. I swallowed and when I opened my mouth to speak, my voice came out trembling, "Y-You didn't deserve that. S-Sorry." He shook his head and straightened up. I feared he wanted to slap me back, so I took some steps backwards and let Will do the announcement.

"The crew's ready," was all he said, most likely because of Jack's annoyed expression. He was still tired though, and I remembered the thing I was carrying in my hand. Just when he was about to leave the ship, I grabbed him by the hand and showed him the bottle.

"It's gin." He did not seem too satisfied. "It's not rum, but it will at least keep you awake"

He took it and drank it to the bottom. "Thanks, love" I watched him throw the bottle in the sea and went to see the crew. Will seemed to be about to abandon all hope when he saw how 'well bodied' they were. I did not say a word, trying to be optimistic.

"And what's the benefit for us?" a woman's voice shouted. Her face was covered by a hat, and Jack did show a little fear trying to remove it.

"Anamaria!"

And there he got slapped again. He exchanged some words with Will and returned to her. As soon as he said the first word, he got slapped again. "Wow, three times already and the day has barely begun," I whispered to Will. He chuckled. After he promised her a new boat, better than the one he had stolen from her (just by analyzing her temper I realized why it took him so long to take it when we came back from that island) – _The Interceptor – _we all got aboard it to sail to Isla de Muerta.

Not too many hours passed before we came across a storm. It was such heavy rain I had the impression someone was pouring a bucket of water over my head. I was helping the crew to tie the sails, when I heard a shriek. Anamaria was hanging by the railing, and because of how stressed everybody was by the storm, nobody noticed her until I ran to her and pulled her on board. She did not even thank me, but rushed to her station. I did the same, cursing myself for not letting her die, for she proved to really like ordering around.

When I threw Jack a glimpse, he was calmly turning the wheel, not even paying attention to all the water that was pouring from his hat or all the crew's screams and efforts. It seemed like nothing was wrong. I crawled my way to the stairs, and because I was too afraid to climb them, I shouted to him, "HOW CAN YOU BE SO RELAXED? THAT COMPASS DOESN'T EVEN WORK!"

I am not sure if he even heard me, but he definitely saw me and faintly smirked. "TO YOUR STATION, LASS!" he shouted back.

After hours of almost swimming on deck, shouting, nearly being pushed off the ship, someone from above shouted, "LAND HO!" and everybody suddenly stopped what they were doing. Minutes later, the storm ended and I could glance at what they called _Isla de Muerta. _

_

* * *

_

**A/N:** Not much to say. Check out my other story I just started yesterday: _It's Called A Heart._ Maybe you'll like it. :)

Hugs.


	9. Isla de Muerta II

**IX**

**Isla de Muerta II  
**

The image of the ghostly land in front of me sent shivers down my spine. There was fog surrounding the island, giving it a more frightful look. We all gathered on the sides of the ship to watch the shipwrecks, as Cotton's parrot kept scaring us more.

"Sends chills down your bones how many honest sailors been claimed by this passage," Gibbs stated and walked away from the railing.

Will followed him, "How is it that Jack came by that compass?" I followed him, as I considered the question interesting. I still did not know what was special about his compass.

"Not a lot's known 'bout Jack Sparrow before he came to Tortuga with a mind to find the treasure of the Isla de Muerta," he started. That still did not help me figure out what his compass could do, but it did keep me intrigued. "That was before I'd met him, when he was Captain of the_ Black Pearl._"

Will widened his eyes, but I did not react. I knew that already. "What? He failed to mention that...," his speech trailed off in confusion.

"He plays things close to the vest now, and a hard-learned lesson it was." Will looked at him, demanding explanations. "Three says into the trip, the first mate says, 'Everything's an equal share. The location of the treasure, too.' So Jack gives up the bearings. That night, there was a mutiny."

"Oh," I said, making my presence noticed. Only Gibbs looked at me, while Will was looking at him.

"They marooned Jack on an island and left him to die," he continued. "But not before he'd gone mad with the heat.

Will nodded, "So the reason for all the...," he stopped, imitating Jack's walking and swinging.

"Reason's got nothing to do with it. When a pirate's marooned, he's given a pistol with a single shot. _One_ shot," Gibbs said and sat down, making me and Will do the same. "That won't do much good hunting, nor to be rescued. But after three weeks of a starving belly and thirst, that pistol looks real friendly." With that, he aimed his head with two fingers. "But Jack escaped the island, and still has that single shot."

_I don't_, I thought.

"He won't use it, though, save on one man: his mutinous first mate," Gibbs explained.

"Barbossa!"

"Aye"

I thought of the idea as being nice, and immediately regretted the fact that I had wasted mine on opening a bloody door. However, as I recalled the violence my crew had thrown me away from the ship, I slowly realized I would not stand a chance against them. In addition, I did not even know who had started the mutiny. They had all been unpleased by the fact that their Captain was a _woman_.

After Gibbs affirmation, Will directed the conversation to another topic, "How did Jack get off the island?" I shrugged, knowing the answer perfectly, but was curious if Gibbs would mention me.

"I'll tell ye," he proudly started another story. "He waded out in the shallows, and waited three days and three nights, 'till all manner of sea creatures became acclimated to his presence." I arched my eyebrows. "On the fourth morning, he roped a couple of sea turtles, lashed them together and made a raft"

I stared at him blankly, and then burst into sudden laugher. "SEA TURTLES?" I could not believe he had actually used my excuse. I was so amused I did not notice Jack approaching.

"What did he use for rope?" Will asked, having believed every word and ignored my fit of laugher. Gibbs did the same, but before he could answer, he noticed Jack staring down at us.

He answered instead, "Human hair. From my back." He glanced at me before ordering the crew to lower the anchor. He told us he would go ashore with Will and me. We took a boat and let Jack row. He did not seem happy with it at first, but I reminded him that Will would probably screw up, and he would not let a woman row. But I ended up rowing at halfway anyways.

So, while I was rowing, they started discussing the Pirate Code. At one point, Jack was telling Will he might be on his way to becoming a pirate one day. He denied it aggressively, claiming he was definitely not obsessed with treasure.

As they left the boat and ascended to take a look at what was happening, Jack stated, "Not all treasure is silver and gold, mate" I joined them and watched Barbossa hold his speech in front of his crew, about how much they have suffered, disproportionate to their crimes. He made it sound so grand, it almost touched my heart and made me imagine years of suffering to end such an awful curse.

Will wanted to rush and save Elizabeth, but Jack held him back, "We wait for the opportune moment," he said and walked away. We followed.

"When's that? When it's of greatest profit to you?" Will ironically asked.

"May I ask you something?" Jack said, stopping suddenly from walking. "Have I ever given you reason not to trust me? Do us a favour. I know it's difficult for you, but please stay here," he ordered more than asked. "And try not to do anything stupid. Love, you come and help me," he added and made me sign to walk with him. We ran through the treasures and watched Barbossa continuing his speech. "Stay here," he told me, but before he could walk away, Will came from behind and hit him with a row.

"Sorry, Jack. I'm not going to be your leverage," he said. I yelped, and Will made me sign to shut up. "Leave him. Help me rescue Elizabeth."

My eyes grew wide in anger, "Help you after what you have done to him?"

"He was going to trade my life for Barbossa's ship. What did you want me to do?" My mind vehemently protested, but I had no choice, since a conflict would only have made our presence known, and if I could not help Jack, at least I could help Will. I was not going to just sit there and watch them do the entire job. Maybe I would have got a profit out of it anyways. "Please," he whispered desperately, and I nodded.

By that time, Barbossa had already dropped the medallion, and I told him that was the right time to sneak by the back, while their eyes was closed and they were waiting for the curse to lift. We swam until the back of the huge mountain of treasure and waited for the right moment. They soon realized it was not going to happen, and in a moment of anger, Barbossa slapped her off the mountain, along with the medallion.

"Go," I whispered to Will. We helped her out of the water, and ran away while the crew was arguing with their captain. I suddenly stopped. "What about Jack?" I asked.

Will paused before answering, "Leave him"

I followed them a lot harder, sensing that leaving Jack behind was not a good idea and I was going to pay for it sooner or later.

* * *

**A/N:** That's all, folks! I bought an apartment near the **airport** and you have no idea how hard it is to concentrate when you hear turbines every 5 minutes (in spite of my love for planes, it is pretty annoying).

Hugs and thanks for the reviews. :)

**P.S.:** Currently looking for a beta. Anyone interested?


	10. Daft

**X**

**Daft**

My stomach was tight when I stepped in the longboat. Will rowed to our ship, while Elizabeth was not saying a word and I stared in the black water below. I did not know for sure why I felt so uneasy, but I tried to ignore it as hard as I could. Of course, I failed and that guilt took over me again when we walked on deck and Gibbs asked what had happened to Jack.

"He fell behind," was Will's dry answer.

I walked to the other side of the ship, blocking the island from my sight.

_Well, he was my friend after all._

Insecurity flowed through me as I started to wonder if Barbossa would kill him instantly or give him a chance. Maybe Jack would manage to bargain with him for Will. I shook my head and decided to have a little patience. Perhaps he would come after us.

I spent the whole rest of the night there, on the railing. Anamaria had asked me if I wanted to sleep, but I had slept too much last days to be able to close an eye then. I did not even notice it was almost morning but when I saw the horizon enlightened. The sun rose.

Its light was blinding. I turned around and sat under the stairs.

Anamaria went out of her cabin and saw me sitting there. Her eyebrows arched, "What are ye doing here?" I looked up at her and raised my shoulders. She sat next to me and analyzed my expression. "Feelin' guilty 'cause of Jack, right?" I responded by biting my lower lip. "Not blaming ye. But by knowing him, I'm sure he's managed to stay alive."

She patted me on my shoulder and went back to her cabin. She returned with a small bottle of rum. "Here," she said and threw it to me. "This'll cheer you up. Take some sips and get back to work"

Anamaria had an ear-piercing voice, thing she used to wake up the crew that was still sleeping. They got out of the quarter one after one, some rushing to their stations, and some still half-asleep. I drank the whole bottle and went up to the wheel, where Cotton had been assigned to stay.

I put my hand on the wheel, just to see how hard it was to turn, when Cotton's parrot spat, "Walk the plank!" and Cotton shoved off my hand. I frowned, but was too tired to say anything. When I looked back, I saw a little black dot on the horizon. I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me, so I turned back around and descended to the main deck. Few minutes later, there was a huge rush on the ship, everybody was panicking and Anamaria ran to the wheel.

I had no idea what was happening, so I ran after her. Before I managed to open my mouth, Elizabeth came from behind me and asked, "What's happening?"

"The _Black Pearl_!" Anamaria cried. "She's gaining on us!"

I tore upstairs to see the ship in all its splendour, not too far away from us, sunken in fog.

"This is the fastest ship in the Caribbean!" Elizabeth shouted.

"You can tell them that after they've caught us," Anamaria shouted back. I did not turn around, but listened to their conversation and stared at the _Pearl._

_Maybe Jack is there,_ I thought.

"We're shallower on the draft, right?" Elizabeth asked.

"Aye?"

"Well then can't we lose them on those shoals?"

Anamaria ordered the crew to lighten the ship. She pushed my arm and told me to help as well, not just stand there and stare. "Aye aye, capt'n," was all I said before rushing down the stairs again. I went down to the cellar, and seeing all that was left there were drinks (the crew had probably snuck in and ate), I decided t throw them out. Half-heartedly, of course.

However, as soon as I tried to throw out a big bottle of rum, the ship rocked and I almost fell out the window, if it had not been for its small size. I had already gotten tired of ascending and descending stairs, and adding my tiredness, I crawled up the stairs and saw a big ghostly looking ship right next to ours.

"The _Black Pearl_!"I shouted, pointing to it.

Gibbs ran near me and shouted "How'd ye figured out?" Before I could answer (who knows what I wanted to answer to such a question), he had already disappeared from my sight.

"FIRE!" somebody shouted and the war begun. I closed my eyes but figured out I could not just stay there and wait until it would end. I reached for my sword and ran to the railing, letting my tiredness behind and hoping Jack would show up. But once reached the side of the ship, I could only spot Barbossa's crew. There was no sign of Jack.

I found myself once again near to death when the mast was fired at and fell, stopping at mere inches away from my head. Right after that, the ship was invaded by the enemy's crew, and I finally got to use my sword.

Of course, I was a walking disaster with a sword in hand. I found it incredibly heavy, and no matter how hard I tried to aim at somebody, I just kept spinning around with it, until I hit skin. But it was not the enemy's skin. It was Jack's.

"JACK!" I threw away the sword and ran to him. I had cut his cheek. "I'm sorry!" He touched the little cut I had made and frowned.

"You said you could handle it"

I made up a dull excuse, "I'm not in the mood right now" His eyebrows curved before he nodded. I wanted to ask him how he had managed to escape, when I spotted a monkey with the medallion in its hand. I pointed to it, and Jack turned instantly.

"Monkey!" he shouted and ran after it.

_I'm not going to lose you again, _I thought and ran after him. Unfortunately, I stumbled upon a corpse and fell right on my stomach. The sound of swords and pistols seemed louder in my head, and that was when I realized I had hit my head in the fall. I tried to lift my body by supporting it on my elbows, but I was too dizzy to do that. A sword came flying in my direction, millimeters away from my head. A terrible pain hit me between my eyes and when I raised my hand to feel what was hurting me so horribly, I discovered my skin had been cut. I looked at my hand and saw a mass of blood. That was when I started to get even dizzier.

"Is this one alive?" I faintly heard someone shout and poke me in my back.

"I am…," I whispered and that somebody descended to my level.

"It's a woman!" he shouted and I felt lifted up.

* * *

A loud sound of explosion brought me back to reality. I found myself tied to the mast, but not on the _Interceptor._ The rest of the crew was tied like me, while two men hold Jack and Elizabeth was being… molested by Barbossa's men.

I frowned. I had not fallen asleep, I had been half-conscious while they took me and tied me to the mast, but now I was completely. My head felt heavier, though.

"Barbossa!" I heard Will's voice, and when I turned my head to the direction it was coming from, I saw him, standing proud on the railing. I tried to bargain with the man guarding me, telling him he looked really nice, but he growled and slapped me. I was too tired to react.

Barbossa learned who Will was, and who his father was. They all agreed he really looked like 'Bootstrap Bill'.

"Name your terms, Mr. Turner," Barbossa mockingly said.

"Elizabeth goes free!" he shouted. I waved at him, trying to make him save my life as well. He noticed me and motioned he did not understand what I wanted. I slipped under the rope and pointed to myself, and then waved my hand like wings. He frowned, but when pointed to Elizabeth, he finally understood. Not to mention everybody was switching glances between Will and me.

"And so does Ivy!" he shouted again.

"Who's Ivy?" Barbossa asked, scowling.

"The blonde woman tied over there," Will said and pointed to me. I smiled. Barbossa rolled his eyes and looked back at Will.

"What else?"

"And the crew! The crew are not to be harmed," he stated. Barbossa agreed, and I found out I had dug my own grave when he ordered us to walk the plank. Elizabeth was the one to go first. They undressed her first, and I thanked God I was wearing my own clothes. Whatever, stolen, but still my own. I did not have to give anything back.

After Elizabeth fell into the sea, Barbossa ordered me to go after her. Before I could step on it, he sarcastically asked me if I wanted an apple. I looked down at the apple he had in hand and took it.

"You know what?" I said, turning around the apple in my palm. "You can take it and shove it up your–"

I did not get to finish the sentence as he pushed me off the railing, probably sensing I was going to humiliate him. I splashed into cold water, and when I managed to get my head out of it, I heard Barbossa laugh, "I guess she didn't get to walk, after all!"

"Ha, ha, ha," I imitated his laugher. Elizabeth had already begun to swim towards the island, and just when I heard the conversation between Jack and Barbossa from above, I realized it was the same one Jack had been marooned on many years ago.

"Seeing there are three of us now, a gentleman would give us three pistols," Jack protested. I looked up and saw he had already reached the plank.

"Well then you can be the gentleman, pick the one you like most and shoot her, as you and the other one starve to death"

Jack's effects splashed near me, followed by Jack.

"Why are you not taking this more seriously?" he asked me while we were swimming.

"Nah," I said. "I'm just getting used to it"

* * *

**A/N:** WHY WAS THIS SO HARD TO WRITE!

ARRRRGH.

Here's a little question:** Was I the only one that shouted "BITCH I'D GIVE MY LIFE TO BE IN YOUR PLACE" when Will complained about being a pirate?**

Next chapter will contain Jack's reaction to Ivy the traitor. D: I sense she won't like it.

Thanks very much to **hallytennant, BPatty, nlech16, CaityGirl, Sirius'onlylove, BlueSpiritFire1, Mrz. Jacob Black, Shining Petals, Bloodypassion, Garapa, Evakii, Bloody Midnight, Amri, rosewhip889, QueenOfWeird1995 **and **Runs with myths** for all their reviews. :) (hope I didn't forget someone)**  
**


	11. Sorry I guess?

**XI**

**Sorry …I guess?**

When I arrived to the shore, my body suddenly felt ridiculously heavy, and my feet could not hold it anymore, so I crashed with my face right into the sand. Elizabeth was out of my sight, and I heard Jack panting from behind me. My head turned into the sand, so I could see him.

"That's the second time I've watched that man sail away with my ship," Jack stated, dropping his effects and turning to me. "How many steps were they? Five?"

"Four," came my bored answer. My eyes shut, and as Jack went past me, I grabbed his leg and told him, "Bring me one as well"

Elizabeth came back, realizing the island was not as big as she had expected it to be. She followed Jack, and the last thing I heard was her asking if we could escape the same way he had done. _Sea turtles? Doubt it,_ I told myself. Then, it came to my mind that maybe she knew another story. Who knew how many stories Jack had told about his magnificent escape from this stupid island?

Jack threw the bottle of rum, about one inch away from my face. To mention that I did not know by then that the rumrunners had gone out of business, and thought we would get out of there in no time.

The weather was windy, but hot. Well, how do you expect it to be in the Caribbean? Anyhow, sometimes the breeze would chill the air a little, but not too much. Fortunately, two of us were used to this weather. One of us would enter the house and cool down with a bath. That one was Elizabeth, who constantly complained about melting down because of hotness.

So it happened for me to notice how pretty she was. As sweaty and angry she was, some kind of jealousy took over me. Her hair was wet and her dress was blowing in the wind along with it. She was like those women the Captain kept telling me about, fluttering their eyes at the seamen that made port in their hometowns. Women that desired adventure.

Whatever my hard trials, I could not bring myself to remember the Captain's name. It had been driving me mad, until I decided to let go and hope someday it will come to my mind.

"So is there any truth in the other stories?" Elizabeth asked, frustrated. I sat and opened my bottle. It was old, full of dust, but the rum looked good. I took a sip, as Jack prepared to answer.

"Truth?" he asked, rolling up his right sleeve. I did not catch it at first, but when I changed angle, I saw the marks. He rolled up the left one as well, revealing other cicatrices. My eyes narrowed at this weird moment of sincerity. He uncovered a part of his chest and that's when I rose up and glared at him.

"You lied to me… too?" I asked, rather confused than angry. "Why would you do that?"

He had told me stories about his adventure, such as the raid in Nassau, which I had really believed to be all true. Until now.

"Why would he not?" Elizabeth interrupted, from behind me. I did not answer immediately, but gazed some moments into Jack's eyes. They told me nothing.

"I thought the fact I had accepted to shut up when he told everyone he had been _alone_ on this island was enough to allow a little sincerity between us. Maybe friendship. Turns out I was wrong"

"Well, who left me behind just one day ago?" Jack attacked, rising to his full length. "Don't forget your place"

"My place? Who do you think you are? God?" I snapped back, my eyes narrowing little by little with every word. "Should I worship you now? Don't you see you make no sense at all?"

His nose twitched and his face approached mine. I thought of taking a step back, but he had already begun talking. "Look," he said. "Why don't you continue shutting up and do what all wenches like you do best, savvy?"

My thoughts were blurry first, but when they cleared up and I realized what he meant, I flushed red of both embarrassment and anger. Not knowing what to do, I turned my back to him and walked to the other part of the island. "As if I'd lower my mind to yours!" I shouted, while furiously kicking the sand and swearing. Elizabeth came after me. I noticed that only after I had settled on the sand.

"It may not be the right moment to tell stories, but… I'm curious to know the real side of the story," she carefully said, sitting down near me. I looked at her, no expression written on my face.

"What story? There's no story." She looked away. We both remained silent some moments, until I figured out that maybe it would calm me down a little. "I had… I had been marooned on this island, same way as Jack," I started, and she turned to look at me. I was staring at the horizon, "But two days before him. I was drunk when I first saw him."

She let out a little chuckling laugh. I turned to her with a bitter smile on my lips. "That's why I don't really remember how he looked. All I know is that he was mad Barbossa had left with the _Black Pearl._" I turned back to look at the sea. "We drank, talked, and played for three days, when we finally came across the rumrunners. We went to Tortuga with one of them, letting the other two die of starvation, I suppose."

Her face had adopted a very fascinated air, which disappeared when I told her that was all. Some moments passed before she asked, "In what significance… 'Played'?"

I frowned as to myself and answered, using an annoyed tone, "We 'played' as in _throwing sand at each other_"

Elizabeth said nothing more, but took some sips of her rum, and lay on her back.

_I wonder what Jack is doing._

_He's probably getting himself drunk on the other side and having fun._

_What if he's spying on us to see if we get undressed?_

_Idiot, why would we do that?_

I shook my head to stop conversing with myself again. It was an old habit I had formed when I was a child and was sitting all alone in the cabin. I had never managed to get rid of it. Come to think of it, I had never tried either. Sometimes I liked it.

The sun had set, and the whole place was dark. A fire was burning on the other side of the island, probably started by Jack. It was cold, and the urge of getting near that fire filled me. I would not do it, though, as I would have to beg Jack. Starting my own fire was out of the question, as I could barely see something. It was my fault I had not thought of it earlier.

Turning to Elizabeth to start another conversation with her, I noticed her eyes were closed, the bottle of rum was empty, and her chest was slowly moving up and down, because of her deep breathing. I smiled, and when I switched sight to the sea again, something was blocking it. I touched the thing in front of my face and discovered it was a hand.

"Jack?" I whispered, trying not to wake Elizabeth up. "What the–" I was unable to finish my sentence, since he grabbed my hand and lifted me too my feet. I did not protest anymore, and walked away from where Elizabeth was sleeping, trying to walk faster than Jack. Just to prove my impatience.

"Slow down, lass. It's not a race"

I stopped as if I had walked in an imaginary wall. When he caught up, I started walking again, more slowly this time. His voice had been very quiet, as if he did not want to talk to me at all. That or he was upset about something. Both seemed weird.

"So, what is it?" I asked when he stopped in front of the fire he had started. He sat down, and I did the same.

"I'm… so–no, I am very upset about what has happened," he started, looking as if he was pulling those words out his mouth with all power. I decided to let him finish, something that did not please him. "I have thought a lot about these fights we've had and I've…" he stopped again, to find his words. "I've come to the conclusion that we are…" This time, he did not stop to search for what to say, but more to make those things _come out _of his mouth. "We are _even_"

_What's so hard about saying 'even'?_ I asked myself. "Have you ever apologized to someone before?" I inquired, figuring out that was the reason why he was acting so… clumsy. His nose twitched and his head shook. One corner of my lip curled into a slight smirk.

_Even?_

_Well, he didn't come back when he promised, and I left him behind. I guess that's what he means._

_And what about all those ugly words?_

_Oh, come on…_

"You should do it more often," I said, without prior notice that I would start another conversation.

"Do what?"

"Apologize. It gives you a cute touch," I said, smirking more.

"Very funny," he ironically remarked. I patted his back and we drew closer than we initially were. The black ocean lay in front of us, reminding me of the day I had first been left there. It was all the same. Well, without Elizabeth.

I yawned, "I'm glad you did this" Some moments had passed since we had approached and we both were almost asleep. He did not ask me what, but he did it with his eyes. "Apologized, I mean. I had thought about it, but never had the courage to do it," I gave him a beautiful lie.

"Why?" his voice came, quiet, demanding further silence.

"Because…" my voice trailed off when my head tilted towards him, and he moved closer to give it support. "I guess you're the only one around here that I can trust" And I fell asleep, feeling his shoulder move under my head, following his breathing.

* * *

**A/N:** I guess I was kidding when I said that she wouldn't like it lol.

I think I'll have her leave him again, though…

.

.

.

…still plotting here.

I'll correct misspellings later. Thanks for the reviews on chapter 10~!


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